Certainly, no kitchen is complete without a set of cookware, a great set of knives, measuring cups, and so on. But assuming you’ve got the basics, the gadgets I’ve rounded up will take your kitchen—and eating habits—to the next level of healthy.
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Salad Spinner
No healthy kitchen is fully stocked without this gadget! I often buy triple-washed greens for salads that can be ready in seconds, but I still turn to my salad spinner regularly. I have this smaller version from Oxo (because I’m a two-person household living in an NYC apartment), and it can easy handle one head of romaine or a bounty of fresh herbs. If you have room in your kitchen, the full size Oxo Salad Spinner is the way to go.
Blender
It’s admittedly pricey, but I love my Blendtec blender, and the settings make it so easy to whip, blend, puree, and more. Plus, it cleans up beautifully—quickly and easily. For a budget-friendly pick, this Black & Decker model was top-rated by my friends at Good Housekeeping. This Ninja model is another pro-pick and I have friends who swear by their NutriBullet. There’s a blender for every budget, so make sure your kitchen is appropriately outfitted with this healthy gadget.
A smoothie is a great way to meet your produce needs, and your sips go down much more easily with a straw. But I’m working hard to reduce my single-use plastic waste so stainless steel reusable straws make environmental and smoothie-sipping sense. This top-rated product comes with five straws and a brush cleaner, and is designed specifically for smoothie-drinking. (Other straws may be too narrow.) It’s a perfect little gadget for your healthy and environmentally-mindful kitchen.
Anything that makes it more fun and inspiring to eat veggies is a win in my book, so I’m on board with the veggie spiral trend. I’ve tried a few spiralizers and this one, by Inspiralized, is my personal favorite because it suctions on to your counter, making it a tad easier to quickly create fun spirals. I’ve had it for a few years, and it’s still creating veggie noodles like a champ. In addition to veggie noodles, I use it to create curly baked sweet potato fries, which are always a hit in my house. Any gadget that makes eating veggies this much fun deserves a spot in the kitchen!
Cast Iron Skillet
I’m obsessed with my Lodge cast iron skillet! There are some meals that are that much better when made in a cast iron skillet. I use mine to make foods from shrimp to beef fillets, as well as one of my family favorites—socca, a chickpea flour-based flatbread. I also love make shakshuka in it. If you don’t already have a cast iron skillet, this is an essential kitchen item!
Knife Sharpener
Using a knife sharpener on the regular means you can safely cut through anything from a tomato to a carrot. Dull blades can be dangerous because they don’t pierce the surface of your food easily, and are more prone to slipping—particularly hazardous since you're already applying more pressure due to the dull blade situation. Safety always comes first, but time-saving is also a priority in my kitchen, and sharp knives save time because they make it more effortless to get through your prep. Unless you have mad knife-sharpening skills, this is the best type of knife sharpener (seriously, I’ve been to a training on this!) to use, and it also happens to be inexpensive—about as much as a vente Starbucks latte! Every healthy kitchen needs one of these gadgets!
Meat Thermometer
I bought my Taylor meat thermometer last year on Amazon Prime Day and I’m so glad I did. I’ve had multiple meat thermometers over the years, and none of them worked as well as this one (which is why I traded up). I’m serious about food safety and no other method of checking meat can ensure it’s done to the proper temperature (the level at which it kills harmful pathogens) as a food thermometer. Plus, it increases your delicious-factor, too, because you’ll get meat that is neither undercooked nor overcooked. Say goodbye to dry chicken!
These are hands-down my favorite food storage containers because they keep an airtight seal, which is ideal for foods like flour and other grains. I have multiple containers and use them to stores grains, cereal, quinoa, nuts, healthy snacks, and more.
Electric Tea Kettle
I switched over to an electric tea kettle a few years ago and I’ve never looked back. It boils water SO FAST. I drink a lot of tea, and I make pour-over coffee, so that’s a big perk in my book. I’m currently using this model, which I admit, isn’t the most attractive, but it works very well. If I’m in the market again, I’ll upgrade to this Bonavita version, which is well-rated, and has some useful design elements, like the gooseneck spout, which is way better for pour-over coffee. You could also stick with a totally basic version, like this one from Amazon Basics. Whatever way you go, herbal tea is one of my favorite ways to unwind at night. Science backs up its soothing qualities, so get zen with this healthy kitchen gadget.
This tool makes it easy to create healthy and delicious fare, from squeezing lemon over freshly-grilled salmon, adding a burst of fresh lemon or lime to salads (in lieu of vinegar), or adding more zip to ordinary H20. Honestly, I use this squeezer just about every day! It’s on my short list of go-to gadgets!
There are so many healthy and convenient items that come in cans: beans, lower-sodium soups, and tuna are some that pop into mind. This style of can opener allows you to quickly open cans without any trouble, and it doesn’t leave any jagged, sharp (read: hazardous!) edges. I’ve been using mine for years and it’s still going strong!
As I mentioned, I’m trying to reduce my single-use plastic waste, and that’s where these bags come in handy. Instead of using (and then tossing) a zip-style plastic bag to store half-eaten avocados, sliced frozen bananas, or nuts to eat on the fly, these bags do the job in an environmentally-sound way.
Do you have a favorite kitchen tool that you don't see listed here? Please fill me in! Leave me a comment or email me at samantha@samanthacassetty.com. Happy cooking!